Robert E. Dimond
I was visiting my brother’s house recently and noticed that his 12 year old son, Jack, was not as chipper as he normally was. As a matter of fact, he was downright sad and not communicating. I asked my brother about his son and he made it all clear. My nephew had lost his “best friend” the night before. His dog, Spider.
Spider had been in the family for six years and, though there were four children in the family, Jack and Spider had created a very strong bond with one another. They were inseparable. Jack volunteered to do most of the doggie chores – feeding, walking and cleaning up after Spider when necessary.
Most evenings when Jack was not otherwise involved they would go for a walk in the neighborhood. It’s hard to determine which of the two enjoyed those walks more – Jack or Spider. That’s how inseparable they were. Jack did not regard walking the dog as a chore, but a pleasure that he looked forward to.
That’s what made the story of Spider’s demise all the more heart-rending. And I would not mention it to Jack right now – and maybe never, because it would do no good in this case – but the outcome could have been avoided.
Jack and Spider usually walked for about 45 minutes. Most of it was through parkland and well away from roads. Jack would love to have let Spider roam free, because he knew that Spider would never run away from him. But the law is that every dog had to be on a leash at all times when outdoors.
Like many dogs, Spider was very spirited and curious and wanted to explore everything and move faster than Jack generally walked. Often, Jack would break into a trot with Spider and let the dog run pretty fast. But on this night, Jack was a bit tired from his football practice at school that day and was not in a mood to do any running.
But Spider did not know about the football practice. All he wanted to do was move a lot faster than Jack was moving, and he let Jack know by straining, straining, straining on the leash. But Jack was used to it and held on tight. Until the unexpected happened. The leash snapped. And Spider scurried away at a blinding pace.
Jack ran as fast as he could to try to keep up and grab Spider, but to no avail. And just ahead, a highway loomed. Spider was not used to being near many roads and highways and did not know what dangers they held for a dog. Before long, Jack heard the unthinkable – the loud, ugly sound of brakes screeching and a thud. It was Spider.
When Jack reached the road where Spider lay, he came upon a very upset driver standing over his beloved dog. “I am so, so sorry,” the driver said, “I never saw him. I could have stopped if I had just seen him in the dark, but he totally blended into the darkness.”
That’s the sad story, and the moral is for the want of a $7.99 pet safety light, Spider was no longer with us. A pet safety light, called Pet Blinkie, is a vibrant, multi-colored light that attaches easily to the collar, leash or harness. The pet safety light is waterproof and visible up to a half-mile away.
My nephew Jack is not able to bring Spider back, but you can be sure that I am going to provide him with a pet safety light when he can finally bring himself to replace his old friend. If you have a dog, you can make sure now that this doesn’t happen to it. Go to www.yoursecurityandsafety.com/petsafetylights.htm
Phil
I love Joey's blog. The blog stands out. It's fun and informative. Wonderful pictures. Glad that Joey is feeling better, too. Why not make it into a book for children!
Posted: November 5th, 2009 | Report This Comment